Thang Ta - Manipuri Martial Art

Thang Ta is one of the two martial art forms that originated in India, the other being Kallaripayattu.  Thang Ta originated in the state of Manipur and its original name is HUYEN LALLONG.  Manipur has been an independent kingdom since the early Christian era. It has played an important role in the geopolitical environment of medieval times in between India and China with many independent states at war with each other. Constant life and death struggles between clans, tribes and states resulted in the devising of ways and means of safeguarding the lives of the citizen soldiery and at the same time developing an inward attitude to problems of life, death and afterlife. Battle art plays a pivotal role in small tribes as it forms a method of protection from enemies and also gives a status and recognition within the tribe. Thang Ta  (The art of sword and the spear) was secretly practised by the Gurus and disciples during the British Raj as it was purely prohibited. The heart of Thang Ta is the sword.

Female performers practising Thang Ta

The different moves of this ancient Martial art Style has been bought from daily body postures and movements. Khurumba (the bow) is the movement that represents the  front flexion with the relaxed spine. This movement provides body rotation towards the front. Tha Leiba is rotation and tilts of the pelvic joint in different angles. Occasional half turn of the chest is also common. This movement emphasises on middle body movement. Thong khong is the posture of lowering of the upper extremities nearer to the ground, where the two legs in deep bent position and it supports the whole body. thereby proximally utilizing the use of the upper extremities at the ground level. This movement emphasises on middle body movement to  the ground. Wai teiba is  a daily ritual of cleaning the floor by women. Women use a different flexible squat system with the bent knees opened out to enable the forward flexion of the torso or spine. This gives a forward movement and also movement of hands and control to form out the figure of eight.

Performers practising Thang Ta at a school

Thang Ta is practised and taught under strict code of conduct. The initiation of training starts with a ceremony. The initiation ceremony begins with lighting candles in front of  Pakhangba, the originator of Thang  Ta. The student offers a gift to the Master and then asks for his permission to accept him as his student and the Master does that after accepting the gift. The School where Thang Ta is taught is known as Sindamsang. The student has to enter the Sindamsang barefoot and has to bow in front of the master and also to other senior members present. The training floor is cleaned and groomed before practice. The student also has to bow to Pakhanga before each practice session. The student has to also bow to his partner before practicing.  There are several weapons that are used while practicing Thang Ta. The student needs to touch the weapon and offer a mark of respect to it by touching it and bringing the hand to his head. The student also needs to take care that the weapon doesn’t fall in anybody’s feet. Whenever any instruction is given by the teacher the student needs to stand still. Any intoxication is strictly prohibited. After the session ends, the student again needs to bow down to his master. Such regulations ensure that there is minimum or no injury during the practice and also students learn to build in themselves patience and discipline, thereby maintaining the sanctity of the martial art.

A performer practising Thang Ta with his gear

Thang Ta practitioners also need to take care of certain other codes of conduct. There is strict prohibition of marching against any opponent who is running away in fear or has given up. The practitioners need to take care of this or else it is believed to be sin. Thang Ta is more of spiritual than physical. The practitioners need to follow certain routine. Thang Ta practitioners wear a certain cloth which is usually worn by the dead, thus symbolising the readiness for ultimate sacrifice by the practitioner. Thang Ta symbolises selflessness.

Performers practising Thang Ta

The history of Huyen Langlon has made  its origin branch to several forms. Each technique can specifically be broken down into several various forms. Thang-Ta is the armed version which involves the use of spears, axes and shields in combat. Sarit Sarak is an unarmed version with various forms of evasive and defensive attack. Fundamentals in Sarit Sarak include footwork, kicks, hits and rolling around in the floor. Punaba Ana is a form which is fought with small leather shield and fighting sticks. However, they are not used allowed to use their legs. Thangkairol is an individual swordplay which is ornamented with swords and individuals perform with performers performing with one or more swords. Yannathang is a form in which two martial art performers get in to combats with swords. Khosarol is the form in which the performers fight with spears. Thengkoural is the form which is reserved known by very few masters and it is kept to only a few practitioners.

Thang Ta practitioners need to maintain self-discipline to a great extent. They need to practice, worship and keep training every day. Although the martial arts involve attacking the opponents, yet the practitioners have to maintain the dignity of not harming any enemy who has already given up. The warrior has to protect his land, people and the king with the secrets of yantra, mantra and tantra. Their dedication of the practitioners can be well found out from their habit wearing a sacred cloth which is worn by dead which symbolises their readiness to die.

Today Thang Ta is losing its glory and only some stage practitioners are keeping it alive. Its preservation demands an early attention.

The Touch and Trust

What is the need for physical intimacy in a relationship??

There has always been a debate on whether to get swept over by your partners love or not or when is the right time to get swept away from your partners love. Intimacy helps to feel the warmth. A simple hug builds a trust that there is someone beside, always.

Its good to have an assurance of togetherness, but is it always necessary to get naked in front of your partner? Can't we build in an intimacy without touching?

There are people who meet their partners once in a year. The only intimacy that they carry with them is their partners pic safely walled in their purse. Our soldier brothers and sisters have been living all their life with only the emotion of real touch for a fortnight or so in the entire year with their partners and this doesn't make their relationship less stronger. Even in this modern day concept of global village, people are staying apart, some in different cities of the same country and some even in different countries. Their need and greed for intimacy doesn't drive them to be unfaithful to their partner. They too meet after months.

I don't believe that happiness, faithfulness and intimacy can ever be correlated. Life isn't so uniform for all. A couple can be happy without any intimacy while another might need that happiness of intimacy quite often. A couple can be far and still be loyal while someone can just be near his partner and still be deceiving.

There are couples who find it exciting to have that touch quite often and that they need their daily dose of orgasm. There are also people who are so corrupted by sex that they find happiness in changing partners often. There are also people whose only intimacy is the walk they walk together back from office holding hands.

The real intimacy between two souls is when you don't speak and still your partner understands. Spoken words are to make sense to the world and unspoken emotions are only to the one who is intimate to you. He, who knows you for being yourself will understand when you are happy and what makes you happy.

“there's nothing more intimate in life than simply being understood. And understanding someone else.”

          - Brad Meltzer, The Inner Circle

 The article is penned for 236th edition of Indispire, "Is physical intimacy the only thing which matters in a relationship? Can you live without it and yet be happy?"

Deodhani Festival - Kamakhya Temple

Deodhani festival is a three day long festival which is celebrated at the intersection of 'Sawan' and 'Bhado' month as per the Assamese calendar. Situated atop the Nilachal Hills, the Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati is dedicated to Goddess Kamakhya, a consort of Lord Shiva. The temple is considered to be the principle seat of the Hindu cult of Shakti. The temple comes alive with the celebration of the Deodhani Festival which forms the core of rituals related to worship of Ma Manasha (Serpentine Goddess). During the festival the temple is full of drum beats and priests chanting prayers.

Two Deodhas dancing at the Deodhani Festival

The Deodha of Lord Shiva

The temple dancers or 'Deodhas' get possessed by spirits of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. The Deodhas dance to drum beats which are continuously played by drum groups. There is no uniform dance form, but each Deodha dances as per the dance form of the God or Goddess who has possessed him. The male temple dancers are smeared with colour and sacrificial blood. The Deodhas also carry the swords of the corresponding God and Goddess. The preparations of the festival starts a month back, when the Deodhas leave their home and start sleeping nearby the temple of the corresponding God or Goddess who is going to possess him. The Deodhas consume boiled rice and vegetables and no form of non veg is allowed. A slightest mistake in following the rituals would lead to the God or Goddess being angry on him and not getting possessed to him and which is believed to be inauspicious for the particular Deodha. One of highlighted moment of the entire festival is when the Deodhas get up on the sharp end of 'Dao' (a form of Assamese sword) and dances above it without hurting himself. Three or more Deodhas get up on the Dao and whose number and person is selected by the mutual agreement of all the Deodhas. The Deodhas defy their age and health during the course of the festival. There are several Deodhas who are senior citizens and they too get up on the Dao bearing all risks, only for the devotion to Goddess Kamakhya. Before getting up on the Dao, they take the blessings from Goddess Kamakhya and also young girls (Kumari's). They believe the Goddess Kamakhya resides in the heart of the young girls and so seeking their blessings is significant. During the course of the festival, offerings of goats and pigeons are made, which is because of the belief that they get supernatural powers from the Goddess. They also drink the blood of the offerings they make. After the death or default of any old Deodha, a new person gets possessed by the God or Goddess. While he can be recognized by the sudden movements that are caused by the possession, still he is being questioned with certain questions about the Goddess to establish his authenticity of the purpose.

Another Deodha

A Deodha dancing to the drum beats

The Deodhas roaming around the Kamakhya Temple with the Kumaris leading their way.

After the dance they take three rounds around the temple and take some rest. Visitors meet the Deodhas and seek their blessings during this time. On the last day, the festival continues till dawn. The Deodas have to get their possessed God and Goddess leave their body. It is painful to watch the session and it continues for hours. The family members of the Deodhas go in to tears seeing their near and dear one in such pain. The Deodhas leave their temple and start staying at their home after few days of the end of Deodhani festival.  

A Deodha standing on the sharp dend of Dao.

Another Deodha

It is believed that seeking blessings from the Deodhas can get your long dreamt wishes fulfilled and so visitors visit the temple and wait for the Deodhas to take rest and seek their blessings.

Two Deodhas dancing

A Deodha with his sword

My maternal Grandfathers elder brother Late Shiva Das, was the Deodha of Goddess Dakshina Kali for nearly 50 years and till his death until 2 years back, he was performing all the rituals without any dint. Just before the last Deodhani festival, he had a small accident and couldn't walk properly. On the day of Deodhani, he danced with the sword on one hand and a stick to support his broken leg on the other.

Another Deodha with his sword

My mother's Grandfather, Late Faguna Das was the Deodha of Goddess Chalanta. While he was on his early forties, on the first day of Deodhani he expired. When he was laid for his cremation the Deodhani drums started to beat. To everyone's amaze, he stood up from the pyre and ran to the temple where his sword was kept. He danced till the end. After the festival was over he returned home. My grandmother who was the youngest daughter says she was very delighted to see him back. I know most of you shall find it hard to believe, but I myself have spoken to a few of the funeral visitors and everyone has said the same story. While most of the funeral visitors are themselves dead, the ones who are alive are very old and they still get amazed when they recall the incident. He lived for near about thirty years after the incident and was the Deodha of Goddess Chalanta till his death.


Kamakhya resides in the heart of Guwahati city and it is well connected by public and as well as rented cabs. Two new hotels have also come up for accommodation. Kamakhya is well known for the homestay facility provided by the locals where they welcome every guest with their heart. The kitchens of Kamakhya are famous for the delicacies that are cooked in them.